Cost of Living Payment 2026: what GOV.UK says, and the help that is actually being paid this winter

What GOV.UK says about Cost of Living Payments in 2026

As of 2 October 2026, the government's own cost of living guide says there will be no Cost of Living Payment for 2026 and that no more payments are planned. The DWP guidance page says the same, and that note was first added on 6 May 2025, so anyone promising a fresh payment in 2025 or 2026 has been contradicting the official record for well over a year.

The payments ran from 2022 to 2024 and went automatically to people getting certain means-tested benefits or tax credits on set qualifying dates. You can read the full record on the GOV.UK Cost of Living Payments page.

People on disability benefits such as Attendance Allowance and Personal Independence Payment also received two Disability Cost of Living Payments of £150, in autumn 2022 and summer 2023. Pensioners entitled to a Winter Fuel Payment in winter 2022 to 2023 and winter 2023 to 2024 had an extra £150 or £300 added to it, which many people remember as the pensioner cost of living payment.

How to spot a fake Cost of Living Payment text or email

Because the payments were automatic, any text, email, call or social media message asking you to apply for a Cost of Living Payment, or to confirm bank details to receive one, should be treated as a scam. HMRC reported more than 25,000 Winter Fuel Payment scam referrals in the 12 months to April 2026, and warned that criminals use whatever payment is in the news as a hook.

• Do not click links, reply or download attachments in a message you were not expecting.
• Forward a suspicious text to 7726, which is free and reports it to your mobile network.
• Forward a suspicious email to report@phishing.gov.uk so the National Cyber Security Centre can investigate.
• Texts claiming to be from HMRC can be forwarded to 60599, and emails to phishing@hmrc.gov.uk.
• If you have lost money in England or Wales, call your bank straight away and contact Report Fraud on 0300 123 2040. In Scotland, report it to Police Scotland on 101.

These payments were never claimed by text or link, and HMRC says it will never text or email you to ask for bank details. If in doubt, find the number yourself on GOV.UK and call the office that pays your benefit. Our report on how often fraud is being reported in the UK shows why these warnings matter.

Winter Fuel Payment for pensioners this winter

For pensioners, the Winter Fuel Payment is the closest thing to a cost of living payment still being made. If you were born on or before 27 June 1960 and usually live in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, you could get between £100 and £300 for winter 2026 to 2027. Most people do not need to claim, and most payments arrive in November or December 2026 after a letter in October or November.

Smaller shares of £100 to £200 apply when you live with another eligible person and neither of you gets Pension Credit, Universal Credit or income-related ESA, and care home residents get £100 or £150. If your own total income is over £35,000, HMRC takes the payment back, but people getting Pension Credit in the qualifying week keep it whatever their income. Our explainer on the age that decides whether you get £300 covers the birthday cut-offs, and the GOV.UK Winter Fuel Payment page has the full rules.

Pension Credit is the gateway to most of the help

If you are over State Pension age and on a low income, check Pension Credit before anything else, because so much other support depends on it. It tops up weekly income to £238 if you are single, or £363.25 for a couple, with extra amounts for severe disability, caring and children. Savings of £10,000 or less do not affect it, and above that every £500 counts as £1 of weekly income.

Even a small award brings Cold Weather Payments automatically, the Warm Home Discount, a free TV licence at 75 or over, help with NHS costs such as dental treatment if you get the Guarantee Credit part, and protection from the Winter Fuel Payment clawback. A new claim can only be backdated by 3 months, so waiting costs money.

Apply online, by post or through the Pension Service helpline on 0800 99 1234, Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm. Start with the Pension Credit eligibility checker on GOV.UK.

Energy bills: Cold Weather Payment, Warm Home Discount and the price cap

A Cold Weather Payment of £25 is paid for each 7-day period when the average temperature where you live is recorded or forecast at zero degrees or below, between 1 November 2026 and 31 March 2027. It goes automatically to most people on Pension Credit and to some people on Universal Credit, income-related ESA or Support for Mortgage Interest.

The Warm Home Discount is a one-off £150 off your electricity bill. In England and Wales you may qualify if, on 23 August 2026, you or your partner got Universal Credit, Housing Benefit, income-related ESA or Pension Credit and your name was on the bill. GOV.UK says the scheme reopens in October 2026 and most people get it automatically.

Ofgem's price cap for 1 October to 31 December 2026 puts a typical dual fuel Direct Debit household at £1,723 a year, a rise of £60 or 4%. VAT has been removed from electricity bills from 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027, while gas still carries 5%. If you are struggling, tell your supplier, because Ofgem says they must help you if you ask. Our report on households in energy debt covers what that help can look like.

Help from your council: crisis payments, Council Tax Reduction and social tariffs

From 1 April 2026 the Household Support Fund in England was replaced by the Crisis and Resilience Fund, which runs to 31 March 2029. Every unitary and county council must run a scheme called Crisis Payment for people hit by a financial shock, such as a household appliance breaking down or an unexpected bill, and government guidance tells councils to pay in cash where possible. You do not need to be on benefits to ask, and a payment will not affect any benefits you get.

Council Tax Reduction can cut your bill by up to 100% if you are on a low income or benefits, whether you rent, own, work or not. Each council runs its own scheme, so apply through your local council. Cheaper broadband and phone deals called social tariffs are also available to people on certain benefits, and our guide to social tariffs for people on benefits explains how to ask for one.

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland: what is different

In Scotland the Winter Heating Payment is paid once from December whatever the weather, and some people must apply to their supplier for the Warm Home Discount. Wales offers Emergency Assistance Payments for food, energy and heating oil through the Discretionary Assistance Fund. Northern Ireland has no Warm Home Discount, and Discretionary Support is open where your and your partner's income after deductions is not more than £29,741.40 a year.

Key dates this winter

• October 2026: the Warm Home Discount reopens and Winter Fuel Payment letters start to arrive.
• 19 October 2026: phone claims for the Winter Fuel Payment open.
• 1 November 2026: the Cold Weather Payment season starts.
• November and December 2026: most Winter Fuel Payments are paid.
• 25 November 2026: Ofgem announces the price cap for January to March 2027.
• 27 January 2027: contact the Winter Fuel Payment Centre if you have had no letter or payment.
• 31 March 2027: last day to claim a Winter Fuel Payment, and the end of the electricity VAT cut and the Cold Weather Payment season.

Frequently asked questions

How we check this guide. Every figure is checked against the official sources listed above, and the guide is updated when rates or rules change.